


i dream of gardens in the desert sand

by blackkat



Series: Horoscope Drabbles [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, bookworms conquering the world, watch out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 18:23:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17249171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/pseuds/blackkat
Summary: The guards wave Sakumo in as soon as he tells them he’s carrying Konoha's tithe.





	i dream of gardens in the desert sand

**Author's Note:**

> From Normal Horoscopes on Tumblr: 
> 
> Libra: An empire of sand and glass. The libraries of a thousand cities stolen, collected in the grand archives. A library of libraries.

The guards wave Sakumo in as soon as he tells them he’s carrying Konoha's tithe.

There's only the most cursory check of the contents made; they see the books and scrolls filling the wagons and swing the gates wide, stepping out of the way of the oxcarts. It makes Sakumo itch, makes him wish this was an assassination attempt, anything except what it actually is—a surrender, a capitulation, Konoha rolling over and showing its belly to the conqueror.

“You look like you're about to stab something,” Kakashi tells him from his perch on the seat of the lead cart, nose buried in a book Sakumo is sure he pulled out of the tithe.

“It’s the sun,” Sakumo counters, which isn't entirely a lie. He’s used to Konoha's forests, but this land, and especially this city—everything is pale sandstone and shining glass, and it feels too bright, too large. Beautiful, undoubtedly, but it’s an eerie, hushed sort of beauty, like something ancient. Something serpentine and _hungry_.

“Of course,” Kakashi says, perfectly disbelieving, and doesn’t even bother to look up from the page.

Sakumo opens his mouth to tell him to put the book back where he got it, but before he can there's a quiet laugh behind them. He turns sharply, reaching for the sword he wasn’t allowed to carry into the city, but it’s just a teenager. A boy with white hair and pale green eyes, dressed in a hooded cloak to keep the sun’s glare off, and he offers Sakumo a polite smile.

“Midday is a hard time in the desert,” he says. “I am Kimimaro. If you would bring the ledger, His Majesty is waiting for you.”

The words leech the heat from Sakumo's bones to leave him cold. Oto has conquered vast tracts of the world, raided their libraries and retreated to leave them in ruins, and their emperor has been at the head of every attack. Sakumo has heard a thousand dark whispers about him, and every one calls him a madman, a devil only just contained in human form. Even Konoha bowed, upon hearing he had set his sights on them next. The knowledge sits like led in Sakumo's stomach, but Sarutobi sent him because he of all the army’s commanders would be able to keep a level head, and he won't betray the trust in him.

“I would be honored,” he manages, and takes the ledger Kakashi digs out from their bags. It’s a recording of every book and scroll and manuscript in the tithe, and it was one of the demands the Oto soldiers wouldn’t waver from in their demands. Food, gold, though hardly as much as Sakumo had been expecting, and above all, the contents of Konoha's great library, carefully marked out by its librarians.

Kimimaro inclines his head, like this is the only reasonable response, and then turns to a redheaded girl slouched behind him. “Tayuya will see to the wagons and show your party to the guest rooms,” he says courteously, and Sakumo casts a glance at Kakashi that’s half worry and half warning. Dan is in the group, at the tail of the wagons, but Sakumo doesn’t like leaving his teenage son alone in an enemy city.

“ _Go_ , Dad,” Kakashi says, rolling his eyes, and it’s such a familiar response that Sakumo can't help but chuckle.

“I'm going, I'm going,” he promises, and turns to follow Kimimaro through the vast glass doors head of them.

The interior of the palace is glass and gold and sand, much like the outside. But there are books, too, so many that Sakumo's breath catches, his feet falter. Every wall is lined with shelves, higher than ten men standing on each other’s shoulders, and walkways of glass and stone spiral up to reach the highest shelves. Not just the first room that Kimimaro leads him though, either; _every_ room is a library to rival the greatest Sakumo has ever seen, and he passes through them in a daze, impossibly tempted to stop and touch, to see what the titles are, to pull a few out to feel the weight of the tomes. It’s beautiful in a way that Sakumo can't quite believe, and suddenly, starkly, he understands why Oto demands a tithe of knowledge, even over grains and gold.

“This place—” he starts, and can't find words to finish.

Kimimaro glances back at him, then tugs his hood down, and there's a faint smile on his face. “The emperor has only ever sought knowledge,” he says. “Sometimes, however, war proves the most expedient way to gain it.”

Before Sakumo can respond, they're passing through another set of glass doors, frosted pale lavender and carved with ancient seals Sakumo half-recognizes. Beyond them, though, is a library vaster than all the ones that came before it, vaster than all of them together. This must be the spire Sakumo saw from outside, climbing skyward to impossible heights, and all of it is books and scrolls. People, too, dozens of them, sitting at tables or walking along the shelves. The closest is a woman with her bond hair pulled into pigtails, leaning over a table stacked high with medical texts. She glances up at Kimimaro as he passes, then looks at Sakumo, and her expression slides into something defensive, almost hostile.

“The emperor’s chief advisor,” Kimimaro tells Sakumo without looking back. “Lady Tsunade is his champion as well.”

Sakumo has heard of her, as well, Oto's greatest warrior and greatest healer. He casts her another curious glance, but Kimimaro hasn’t paused, and he’s heading for a small room that opens off the main tower. There's only one occupant, and Sakumo catches sight of a waist-length fall of midnight hair before Kimimaro is stepping to the side.

“Enter,” he tells Sakumo, and as soon as Sakumo is through the door it closes behind him with a quiet click.

Oto's emperor turns, languid and unconcerned. He’s _beautiful_ , Sakumo thinks, and it’s almost a shock. The rumors have certainly never mentioned that. They did account for his danger, at least; even in thin silks and with a book in his hands, he looks deadly, a serpent coiled and waiting to strike.

“Your Majesty,” Sakumo says, and is a little surprised he manages the title. He bows, then carefully offers up the ledger. “Konoha offers our tithe, as was agreed upon.”

Orochimaru regards him for a long moment, golden eyes sharp, and then slowly closes the book he’s holding. He slides it back onto the shelf, and long, delicate fingers pluck the ledger from Sakumo's grip. “My thanks,” he says, and when Sakumo raises his head those eyes are still on him. “Surely this is a job far below your skill level, General.”

Sakumo straightens, turning the statement over for a moment. “This sees to Konoha's safety,” he says. “That’s far more my duty than patrolling a quiet city.”

Orochimaru concedes the point with a tip of his head, then opens the ledger and flips through a few pages. An expression kindles on his face, eager and hungry as he skims a finger over the list of books, and he asks, “All of these? You're sure?”

It’s possible the question should offend him, but Sakumo can't help a smile. “I oversaw their loading myself,” he promises, and on a mad whim, he offers Orochimaru his arm. “Would you like to see for yourself, Your Majesty?”

A slow, satisfied smile curves Orochimaru’s mouth, and he takes Sakumo's arm, folding cool fingers over his vambrace. “I would indeed,” he says, almost a purr, and tucks the ledger under his free arm.

A bookworm conquering the world. Sakumo still can't quite believe it, but as far as his expectations goes, this blows every one of them well out of the water.


End file.
